First Brisket


 
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I bought a WSM about a month ago and have used it a few times. This weekend I am going to attempt a brisket - I figure I'll get a 6-8lb brisket. I've read a few posts about briskets and the consensus seems to be to take the brisket off when it hits around 160, wrap it in foil and put it back on till it hits 190-200. Could someone please confirm this?


Also, I tried some pork back ribs for my first cook and they turned out ok. They were fine, but not fall off the bone tender - what's the trick to get the meat really tender?
 
I don't foil a brisket flat until it has broken it's plateau. Usually, that's in the high 160's and maybe even at 170.

I don't cook mine to 195-200. I've been cooking them till they are fork tender, which for me has been around the mid to upper 180's.

As for your ribs, it sounds like they either needed to be foiled, or didn't quite cook long enough.

I foil bbacks for 20-30 minutes, and spares for 45-60 minutes as an average.

Hope this helps.
 
I have not tried foiling a brisket yet. I cooked one this past weekend that turned out to be my best effort to date. I cooked it to 188-190 (a fork slipped in the side like it was soft butter) and and it was moist and tender. I did a Butt over Brisket cook, and the 12-lb packer took about ~13 hours at 250 lid temp. My wife's aunt and cousin could not believe how tender it was. I ould recommend a BoB cook. Those butts really know how to baste a brisket.
 
I can't confirm that. Maybe it's just me, but I just put a packer cut on fat side up and don't do anything to them (outside of a wet rub before they go on). I stick a Polder in the thick part of the flat and pull at 190, cooker running at 200-225 (uusally toward the high side of that). I've done close to 100 briskets that way, and everytime I try to "improve" it the family complains.

Ribs do benefit from some foil (and a little sauce) in the last hour or so.
 
Dave, for the ribs it sounds like you may not have cooked them quite long enough. What test did you use for doneness? Some folks like them fall off the bone tender and that takes a little longer.
 
I have never foiled a brisket until I pull it off the smoker and I want it to rest. I wrap it, throw it in a cooler with a towel on top to contain the heat and let it sit.

The ribs probably need more time on the smoker for falling off the bone. I like mine to come off when they are not falling off the bone, but when you bite them the bite pulls off, but the rest of the meat stays on. Very tender.
 
I am not an expert by any means but here is what I have done for my last two ( flats 7-8lbs)
I have cooked them till the internal temp is between 185-190. Then take them off and wrap tightly in foil. Put it in a cooler surrounded by newspaper. It stays there for 3 hours. Remove and cut. This techinque seems to work best for me. Also if you think your brisket is a bit dry you can add a bit of beef broth at this time.. becareful this stuff can be very salty.. usually 5T or so will do it for me.
George
 
I did a Butt over Brisket cook, and the 12-lb packer took about ~13 hours at 250 lid temp.

Hi Rick-
I'm about to do my first brisket tomorrow and what you said has me concerned; Everything I've read to date says to cook at 250 an hour and half per pound. That works out to be 18 hours for my 12lb brisket. You had yours finish in 13 hours. Now I realize that BBQ is not an exact science, but that's a 5 hour difference between my calculated and your actual.

Do you have any idea why your BBQ took onky ~1 hour / pound to cook?

Thanks,
Bill
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Hey there Bill,

I don't really know what to say about the cook time for a brisket. I have done 6 or so, all in the 10 - 12 lb range, and all have taken somewhere around 12 hours. I do recall seeing some estimates of 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hrs per lb, but I have not had one go quite that long yet. My first brisket surprised me at how fast it finished. I had planned on a much longer cook. I usually put my brisket on around 10 to 11, and look to have it for dinner the next day, after a nice 2 to 4 hour rest in a cooler. I wish I could give you an idea why the cooks seem shorter. Maybe one of the seasoned experts on the board can give some input.

Good luck with your brisket.

Rick
 
Most, if not all large briskets that I've done take a little bit over an hour per pound to cook.

If I'm doing a twelve pound packer, I'll figure about 14 hours max cook time. If it cooks a bit hotter than 250 lid, then even less than an hour per pound is possible.

Smaller cuts, especially flats, take longer for me. I figure that almost nothing takes less than 8-9 hours. A 4 lb'er can take 8 hours, while a six pounder might take 9-10.

The rendering process just takes some time, but not too much in the case of big cuts.
 
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